Page 57 of Awoken
The warrior with the pike wasn’t dead. He’d staggered to his feet behind Ross and was drawing his dirk. The arrow thudded into his breast, and he crumpled with a cry.
Craeg shook his head in wry bemusement, as if he found it hard to believe she possessed such skill with a bow. “Go now, milady … ye won’t get another chance.”
Ross didn’t need further urging. With a nod at the outlaw leader, he strode past him toward Leanna. She tossed her empty quiver and now useless longbow aside as he approached.
Meanwhile, Craeg turned away to focus on the fight once more.
Leanna’s last glimpse of Craeg was of a tall, dark-haired figure, flashing his sword as he lunged forward to meet his next opponent.
They fled through the cluster of tightly-packed dwellings toward the southern edge of the village.
Ross’s breathing was coming in sharp gasps now. The fighting had drained him, but he couldn’t afford to rest yet. He wouldn’t do so until he’d gotten Leanna to safety.
Craeg’s situation concerned him. He knew as well as the outlaw leader that they were on the losing side of the battle. Shortly, Craeg would need to retreat with what was left of his band, or they’d all be slaughtered.
Ross and Leanna had to run now.
The fighting was sporadic at the southern fringes, and they managed to avoid it by ducking behind some store huts and edging their way out. Poised on the perimeter of the village, they shared a look, before Ross took hold of Leanna’s hand.
“Are ye ready?” he whispered. “Once we run, don’t look back.”
Leanna gazed back at him. Her face was pale and taut, yet her small mouth had flattened into a determined line, and her eyes were narrowed. She hadn’t lied when she’d told him she knew how to wield a longbow; Ross had rarely seen such a true aim. It was dangerous to fire upon a skirmish like that, as you risked hitting an ally, yet Leanna had impeccable timing.
Ross squeezed Leanna’s hand once, and then he sprang forward, away from the cover of the store houses. They made a dash for the dark wall of pines. It was a dull afternoon, but they’d have a few more hours of daylight to flee in, before darkness would slow their progress. Even so, Ross didn’t know this part of the isle well. He was taking Leanna into rough, uneven terrain, but he had no choice.
It was either that or face Duncan MacKinnon.
The thought of what that bastard would do to Leanna made Ross clench his jaw and lengthen his stride. He didn’t care what happened to him; he could handle it. However, MacKinnon’s revenge upon Leanna if he caught her would be terrible—slower and less bloody most likely, but ultimately much worse.
They reached the trees, and immediately the heady scent of pine resin enveloped them. A mattress of soft pine needles lay underfoot, masking the noise of their footfalls. Behind them, shouts and cries echoed high into the valley.
Ross’s belly twisted at the sounds. The fighting was not yet done. He wondered if any of the outlaws would survive the attack.
Tightening his grip on Leanna’s hand, Ross sprinted on, weaving in and out of the tightly-packed pines. Branches snatched at his limbs, and prickly pine-needles clawed at his face, yet he didn’t slow his stride. He needed to get Leanna to safety. Right now, he could think about nothing else.
Leanna didn’t know how she kept running. Each breath was ripped from her lungs, which now felt as if they were on fire. Her legs wobbled underneath her, making her stumble.
Shortly after escaping the village, the land rose steeply, and the way grew steadily rougher. Boulders rose from the rocky ground, and the trees became sparser.
They were climbing a mountainside now, yet they couldn’t halt to rest, not yet.
She had no idea if they were being pursued or not; she couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of her own heart and the roar of blood in her ears.
Soon they were climbing their way over mossy rocks and through stunted pines.
Eventually, the rocks gave way to shale, and they started to slip and slide.
“We need to continue south,” Ross panted. “Maybe there’s a pass down the other side of the mountain.”
Leanna didn’t answer. She lacked the breath to do so. She was gasping now, exhaustion making her feel sick.
After a while, the shadows lengthened and the light started to fade. However, Leanna and Ross didn’t halt.
Not speaking, the pair of them edged south, often slipping and stumbling on the shale, which moved like quicksand underfoot. This high up, the air had a bite to it, despite that spring was now fully upon the isle.
Leanna was grateful for the nippy breeze that feathered across her heated cheeks. The heavy fabric of her habit, underskirts, and léine caught at her legs as she scrambled after Ross, hampering her movement. He’d let go of her hand a long while back, once they were clear of the outlaw village.
It was silent up here, and no sounds of the fighting they’d left behind echoed up from the valley far below. It was an ominous quiet, and Leanna wondered what it meant.
